There Henri (Bruce Borin), Gustave (Greg Congleton), and Philippe (Robby Griffith), veterans of the Great War whose knowledge of each other is mainly cordial, sit on benches in the late summer, 41 years after the war, and contemplate their lives, the cemetery, and, at some considerable distance, a hilltop alive with poplars.

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Borin, longtime drama teacher at Roane State, is an underappreciated local treasure.

With his white beard grown long upon his chest, actor Bruce Borin embodies King Henry with royal entitlement.His power is unquestionable.He,s not entirely evil or heartless, just a product of his life,s ambitions: to build and grow a kingdom that will live on after his death.Borin,s ability to deliver a line is unsurpassed; he,s simply thrilling and captivating to watch.

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The play,s best scenes are between Borin and Devereux.

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Strip away their historical baggage,the burdens and duties of royalty,and these are human people; Borin,s and Devereux,s touching and alive performances make that absolutely clear.

Borin is the crotchety, cynical and morbid Norman Thayer, a former professor who is approaching his 80th birthday.

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But Borin makes him more than that.He's adorable, amusing, self-absorbed and vulnerable.He loves his wife and the verbal games they've been playing during almost 50 years of marriage.What's surprising about On Golden Pond is how Borin's witty retorts and his facial expressions make even the simplest lines funny.On opening night, the full house in the Black Box Theatre laughed heartily.Norman could be played as a mean old man, but Borin brings out his curmudgeonly sense of fun.